Dennis Farrell was born in Liverpool in 1949 and and studied ceramics at Wolverhampton. He established his name with refreshingly expressive raku functional forms, freely assembled and with spontaneous decoration, strong personality of detail and use of colour. The work was comparable to Peter Smith’s equally bold use of clay and surface marking, with some of the fresh and gutsy qualities of American Funk.

His more recent slab pieces, in stoneware and earthenware combination, have essentially been canvasses for his vivid abstract and representational painting, many inspired by the shapes and coloration of the British coast. He also makes wooden wall panels out of driftwood. Farrell lives and works in Shropshire.

David Whiting